


Wouldn't Mind If You're Wrong

by WriterintheBardo



Category: To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series - Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Genre: F/M, New York City, Post-Break Up, post-college
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-17 09:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16093286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterintheBardo/pseuds/WriterintheBardo
Summary: So here she is, at twenty-three, a year after graduation and loving life. Most days she is, anyway. Every once in a while, though, barely ever, really, she thinks back to her old self, to the things that were and things that could have been.





	1. Chapter 1

What a difference a year makes.  
One year since graduation, leaving her beloved UNC behind, one year and so much has changed – her location, her career, but above all, most deeply, her.

Lara Jean had always depended on her network, the people that kept her sane and safe: Chris, Lucas, her sisters, her dad, even Trina, who has become an invaluable part of her life, the steady string that keeps the Covey sisters, scattered around the world as they now were, close to home, to their beloved father who missed them dearly.

But now, a year after leaving her second home in Chapel Hill, Lara Jean has found a steadfast rhythm, a new sense of independence and self-reliance. It is not just her work as freelance writer and food-blogger extraordinaire (she had been an English major after all) but her growing confidence in her skills, her routine, and her love for New York that keep her going, hundreds of miles away from her childhood home, and loving (almost) every minute of it. Granted, Lucas is still part of her everyday life, along with his loving (and shockingly beautiful) boyfriend Marcus, as is Chris, with whom she has fallen into a haphazard rhythm of (somewhat) bi-monthly Skype calls to whichever location she has travelled to last.

So here she is, at twenty-three, a year after graduation and loving life. Most days she is, anyway. Every once in a while, though, barely ever, really, she thinks back to her old self, to the things that were and things that could have been.

Usually, it’s a lazy, dreary Sunday morning, a rare day where the city doesn’t seem to pull her out of bed and into its busy, teeming streets, when she opens up her laptop and browses. It’s aimless at first, checking menus of restaurants she wants to try soon, Instagram posts by friends of friends, the latest trends in Korean skincare, but then… she somehow always ends up on his Facebook page, scrolling endlessly, stopping intermittently, hovering over pictures she’s seen a hundred times, none of them with her. Peter Kavinsky, the boy she once loved, who loved her in return. A year since they last talked, a few more since they last kissed, and already he has become a stranger to her.

Usually, she snaps out of it by then, returning to her life in New York, her life that is so full, so fun, and still so new. But sometimes, her thoughts linger (and so does her heart) on what might have been if they had just tried a little harder.

  
-

  
Because, see, it’s like this: these young, hopeful couples – all of those high school sweethearts, just coming off the high from graduation and prom night, excited (if not a little anxious) about this new chapter in their life – they all promise each other to be the exception to the rule, the ones who make it long distance, who will make the time to call, and Facetime (and yes, maybe, explore the merits of phone sex, we’ll see…) despite the hustle and bustle of freshman orientation, parties and mid-terms.

To be fair, Lara Jean thinks – she still believes this in her heart – they had the potential to make it with their once-in-a-lifetime love, built on an origins story straight out of a romcom. And yet… they didn’t. Life got in the way, simple as that. There was no big fall out, no drama, just the realization that they were drifting a part, the string of their love stretched too thin across the many miles, frazzled and worn by the stress and excitement of their new college life, none of which would translate easily or without miscommunication through staticky connections and pixelated screens.

Sometimes – and again this thought creeps up on her alone in bed on a Sunday morning – she thinks it might have been better, easier really, if it hadn’t ended so amicably. If there had been someone else, someone to blame, maybe. She could have hated him that way, or hated herself for treating him badly. As it were, she only hates herself for giving up, for not trying hard enough, even though she knows that they both gave it their all before ending it – as friends.  
That was what Lara Jean simply had to promise when she looked into Peter’s eyes, defeated and tired, somewhat incredulous that they had actually reached this point of no return.

She remembers his eyes most clearly, thinking back to their last Facetime on her graduation day, the last time they talked. Peter congratulating her in his heartfelt, truthful way, telling her how proud he was of her. Peter, who had already graduated a week earlier (their second-to-last call as it would turn out), Peter who was now officially a law student at UVA, his hard work paying off in ways that made her own heart swell with pride, too. In that moment, she knew that they had made the right call, that even through the heartbreak, they needed to focus on their lives ahead, not the past. However beautiful it may have been.

And so the contact had dwindled, each of them now free to move in different directions. Him in Virginia, on his way to become a reputable lawyer (and enjoying a few more years as lacrosse-superstar, she was sure of it), her in North Carolina, and then New York, baking, writing, pursuing her passions.

She sometimes wonders if he wonders about her at all. If he knows she now lives in New York, the city they both fell in love with on their first visit. Kitty and Peter still talk, she knows that much. But since temporarily deleting her social media accounts as a means of keeping distractions to a minimum during her finals in senior year, and subsequently losing her phone during her first round of apartment viewings in Brooklyn, there has not been a direct line of contact and she knows better than to press her sister on the matter. After their breakup, Kitty had remained annoyingly neutral on the issue, mainly because she loved Peter almost as much as she loved her sister and because, above all, there really hadn’t been any sides to take.

Lara Jean had let their friendship be, knowing full well that their relationship had nothing to do with her. She didn’t pry and accepted Kitty’s curt but affirmative answers whenever she asked if he was doing well (which really, honestly, wasn’t that often, even though she knew Kitty wouldn’t judge).


	2. Chapter 2

So all in all, Lara Jean is happy. Truly. Which is what she tells Lucas at the neighborhood bar on a Thursday night.

“I know you’re happy, I just want you to have a little fun! And maybe get laid…” he mumbles the last part into his drink.

Lara Jean shrieks “Lucas! You’re impossible!”

“Come on Lara Jean, I’m just saying, a night of harmless adult fun might do you good. You work so hard, you deserve to let your hair down. Literally.”

He points at her high ponytail, which wears most of the time out of sheer convenience (swishing her hair through a bowl of flour is only funny so many times).

“You’re hilarious. I have plenty of fun, thank you very much. And as much as I would love to trail you and Marcus through the hippest gay clubs in town, I’d rather finish this drink and get myself to bed. I have a breakfast meeting with my editor at this new café downtown, which, in my opinion, is the _actual_ place to be in New York!”

“Fine, you do you Lara Jean. But a plate of Eggs Benedict won’t keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.” he teases.

 

-

 

When she gets home an hour later, having sent Lucas off into the night, she is still buzzing from the surprisingly potent drinks of which she’s had a few to many (Two. She’s had two. But if one thing did not change about Lara Jean during her time in college, it was the fact that she was still a lightweight with alcohol). For a second, she wonders if she should have gone out with the boys, but instead she decides to open her laptop and work on her latest blog post about the best dessert spots in Brooklyn.

In her slightly intoxicated state, she drifts off to browse soon enough and ends up perusing the comments on her latest Instagram post – a candid shot of her twirling in front of Momofuku Milk Bar. Scrolling through strings of emojis and appreciative comments from strangers, she suddenly stumbles over one username in particular.

It is one in the morning and she’s had a couple of gin and tonics, so she does a double take on the name in case she misread. But there it is, bold and clear

_**p_kavinsky** _

And he’s left a comment too, which is even more unbelievable.

_seems like you’ve found your happy place, covey. i’ll be in nyc soon, is it worth the hype?_

It’s innocuous enough, a simple comment, a casual question, but it sends her for a tailspin. _He’ll be in New York soon? For what? How long?_

And, quietly, at the back of her mind… _will I see him again?_

 

-

 

By the next morning, running on very little sleep, Lara Jean has decided that Peter’s comment is nothing more than the equivalent of polite small talk. She has mulled this over repeatedly between the hours of two and six in the morning, almost sleeping through her alarm after a short and fitful slumber.

_He’s just being nice_

she tells herself and almost believes it.

While in the shower, getting ready for her breakfast meeting, she asks herself if she should reply to his comment and how. It worries her that she’s giving this so much thought, but in all fairness, Lara Jean has always been an overthinker and this being the first time she has had to deal with an ex-boyfriend, she really wishes he had a rulebook to go by.

So, while she’s on the subway, she decides to DM him. He did ask a question after all.

_Hey Peter, if you’re coming to New York, Milk Bar is a must! Let me know if you need any more recs. If the place sells something sweet, there’s a good chance I’ve tried it._

_Casual_ she thinks. Or is it too much? Offering recommendations he hasn’t even asked for. She reminds herself that Peter knows her. He’s not a stranger even though they haven’t talked in a year. He knows that she gets excited by baked goods and anyways, he’s the one who started the conversation.

To prove to herself that the she’s being cool and casual, she turns off her phone while leaving the subway station on the way to her meeting. Nothing like a good breakfast to take her mind off things.

By the time Lara Jean and her editor Louise wave goodbye, she has all but forgotten about Peter’s message. She’s excited about her new project, a glimpse into one of the finest new bakeries in downtown Manhattan. The sheer thought of tasting their cookies and cakes straight out of the oven makes her mouth water.

She can’t wait to tell Margot about it, her biggest champion and the person who encouraged her to take her first steps into blogging all those years ago. Turning her phone back on, she dials Margot’s number, knowing it is already the late afternoon in London, where her sister now lives with her husband Ravi and their new baby girl Lila Song.

“Lara Jean! It’s so good to hear from you, how are you?” she asks right after picking up.

“Hey Margot, I’m great actually! I just got this amazing new assignment and I’m on my way home so I thought I’d check in. How are things with you?”

Margot sighs “Great. Exhausting. Exhilarating. You name it, I feel it. But I just got Lila down for a nap, so I have ample time to chat. Tell me everything!”

They talk for a while longer and before she knows it, Lara Jean is back at home, flopping down on the bed in her studio apartment. After she tells Margot goodbye (and “Don’t forget to send me some new pictures of my adorable niece!”) and sits down to get to work, she sees a notification pop up on her phone and goes to check. It’s Peter. Her heart picks up its pace.

_I’m in NYC for a while actually, so I’ll take all the recs I can get. Do you maybe want to meet up for a coffee? I’ll be in the city from Saturday._

It is at this point she thinks she might be having an actual heart attack. Making small talk was one thing, but meeting up with Peter is a whole other beast. What would they even say to each other? She hesitates for a moment, waiting for her pulse to slow, thinking back to the dreams she’s been having about him recently. Alarmingly, their regularity has been steadfastly increasing, and she often wakes in the morning with the memory of his eyes – or even worse – his lips on her.

But really, it’s her own fault. She’s offered up her recommendations, so how can she deny him a few of them over a casual (she’s been using this word a lot in connection with Peter and somehow it doesn’t seem to fit at all) cup of coffee.

So she types.

_Sure. Let me know when you’re free and I’ll pick a place._

Fuck.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, Lara Jean, what’s new with you? I can’t believe it’s been so long since we talked.”

She fumbles with her hair, contemplating how much she should say. She’ll keep it casual and noncommittal for now.

“Nothing much, Chris. I’ve got a few cool projects lined up, but other than that… same old same old.” she tells her best friend, who is currently waving her phone around in an attempt to get better Wi-Fi. The effect is somewhat nauseating.

“What’s new with you?”

“Actually…” and then she stops and Lara Jean thinks the connection is lost but Chris is just pausing for dramatic effect “I’ll be taking a plane to New York in a few days. I think it’s high time I hang out with my old crew for a while. Lucas and Marcus have already agreed to let me crash on their couch.”

Lara Jean screams. This is the best news she has gotten all week, even with her amazing new assignment.

“No way Chris, this is great! I can’t wait to give you a tour of all my favorite places!”

“And party with me?”

“And maybe… a little partying…” she winks at the camera.

Now it’s Chris’ turn to scream. Through the phone screen, Lara Jean sees people turning their heads to look at her screeching friend.

“Lara Jean, I can’t wait, this is going to be amazing. We’ll have to plan a sleepover as well and catch up on everything for real!”

Lara Jean nods. They will. And maybe in person it will be easier to tell her best friend that she’s meeting up with her ex-boyfriend and doesn’t know how to feel about it. Chris will most definitely have an opinion on this. She just hopes it will be somewhat constructive.

-

And then it’s here. Sunday morning at her second favorite coffee shop in Manhattan (she couldn’t risk giving up her number one favorite in case this goes completely downhill), waiting for Peter at a small table right by the door. People have been giving her the side eye for hogging a table when she hasn’t even got a drink, but she thought it rude to order without him and, to be honest, another coffee would have made her too jittery.

“Covey. Hey.”

There he is, in all his glory. Peter Kavinsky. Her Peter. With his beaming smile and crinkly eyes, he looks just like she remembered him, if not better. He’s matured over the last year, a bit of stubble showing along his jaw and a crisp shirt instead of his usual lacrosse hoodie. He looks great, to be quite honest.

“Peter, hi. It’s good to see you!”

“Same here” he says and sweeps her into a hug. It’s awkward at first, with her not knowing what to do with her hands but then she remembers. She knows this place, this space between his arms and hugs him back soon enough.

“You look great Lara Jean. Let me grab our drinks and then we can catch up. Iced Matcha Latte, right?”

She nods, shocked by his appearance and surprised that he remembers her order after all this time. She slides back into her seat and watches him. It’s all so familiar. The way he stands, how he runs his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. And yet, he’s a whole new person, a stranger and a friend at the same time. She still doesn’t even know why he’s here, in New York, in this coffee shop.

“Here you go.” he sets down her latte and takes a seat opposite her.

“Isn’t this wild Lara Jean? You and me in New York, meeting up for coffee. I still can’t believe it!”

His eyes sparkle, like he’s genuinely excited to be here. With her. Despite everything.

“Right?” she says, shaking her head incredulously “So what brings you here Peter?”

He hesitates for the briefest of moments, looks at her and smiles.

“I guess I just wanted to see where my first love has ended up.”

This stops her short. Is he for real?

“Peter, I know you still talk to Kitty all the time. And wasn’t Gen technically your first love?”

He shakes his head indignantly.

“Yeah, Kitty keeps me in the loop, but I wanted to see you in person. I guess I just wanted to make sure that you’re doing good. And you are.”

Peter looks at her warmly, swallows hard, then says

“As for Gen… our relationship never lived up to what you and I had. We…” he waves his finger between the two of them “we were real, even if we didn’t start out that way.”

He meets her eyes with that honest, open, beautiful face of his and she can feel herself unraveling. He was her first love, too.

In the realest, most consuming way, he had been her everything. And she would always love him for that.

“You’re sweet, Peter…” she trails off and clears her throat “But what I meant was what brings you to New York. You mentioned you were staying a while.”

“Oh. Right.” For a moment he looks caught, like he said too much when he didn’t mean to, but he shakes it off almost immediately “I got an internship at a law firm in the city. I’ll be working there over the summer, shadowing the partners.”

She smiles, imagining Peter at a law firm, all serious and eager to please.

“That’s awesome Peter, congrats! So law school’s working out for you?”

He nods, and goes on to tell her about school and pretty much everything else. They fall into an easy rhythm, filling each other in on their lives since college. Since freshman year, to be honest, which was the last time they actually _really_ talked.

After they finish their drinks, Peter asks her to be his tour guide for the day. “Only if you have the time, I mean.” He adds quickly.

“Yeah, of course. But I have to say, Brooklyn is more of my turf, so I might not be of that much use” she shrugs.

“Then how about we grab another drink and head to Central Park. Let’s walk around a bit more and explore, it’s only a couple of blocks from here, isn't it?”

Lara Jean agrees and they get going, chatting about everything and nothing all the while.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could swear she sees his hand flexing towards hers. Almost reflexively, she wants to reach out, but catches herself at the last moment. Their fingers bump together and Peter laughs “Does this feel a bit weird to you, too?”

“It does." She admits, glad that he feels it too. "But I guess we’ve got the time to figure out this ‘being friends’ thing, right?”

He looks at her, another small laugh forming in his chest.

“Right. All the time in world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for all the lovely comments. Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

And that’s that. They’re friends. Or something like that.

This is what Lara Jean tells her friends a few nights later, huddled around the coffee table in Lucas and Marcus’ apartment, throwing Chris an impromptu four person welcome party.

They all shriek and gasp in disbelief, even Marcus, who has never even met Peter but heard enough about the guy to have an informed opinion.

“Holy shit, Lara Jean, this is not what I expected when I asked for the latest news! How did _that_ happen?” Chris asks.

So she tells them everything. The Instagram comment, the DMing, the coffee shop meet up and the walk through central park (from which she extricated herself with a made up dinner commitment because it was too easy – alarmingly easy – to fall back into a familiar rhythm with Peter).

What she fails to mention, however, are the texts they have been exchanging ever since. Most of the time, it’s just Peter asking for tips on where to get stuff for his sublet apartment or the best pizza in his new neighborhood. Sometimes though, they veer into dangerous territory, rehashing memories and moments from their time together in a way that makes Lara Jean’s heart squeeze uncomfortably.

These particular exchanges always leave her speechless, ending the conversation clumsily and with a sense of longing that she purposefully ignores. Or tries to, anyway.

“So what now?” Lucas asks. He knows better than anyone how Lara Jean felt about Peter. Hell, he was the one, all those years ago, who alerted her to the fact that Peter felt the same way about her. She can’t fool him.

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll hang out from time to time. And then he goes back to Virginia. It’s better this way though, isn’t it? Anything is better than the weird silence we had going on all last year. Right?”

Nobody says anything. They’re all contemplating what Lara Jean said, wondering if it really is better to stay friends with an ex.

“You’re an idiot if you think he doesn’t have a motive, Lara Jean.” Marcus pipes up after a few moments of silence.

They all look at him, somewhat incredulous (in Lara Jean’s case, at least).

“You’re a catch! And from what you have told me, you guys didn’t end things because there was no love left. He wants you back. Mark my words!”

Chris and Lucas don’t say a word, but Lucas squeezes Marcus’ thigh in what can only be interpreted as an appreciative _thanks for speaking up_.

“No way. We broke up so long ago. And nothing has changed. He’s still in Virginia, and I’m here. It’s still long distance, and we both agreed we couldn’t do that.”

“He’s here now…” Chris suggests slowly.

“Yeah, but only for the summer. Whatever, I’m done talking about this. You guys are idiots and I am changing the subject. What are we drinking?”

-

 Later, in bed, Lara Jean thinks back to their conversation. Everything she’d said was true. Nothing has changed since their breakup. Nothing, except the fact that she had gotten so good about pushing thoughts of Peter out of her mind and now it proved increasingly difficult.

-

Then there’s that morning where she’s headed downtown to finally meet the bakery owners she will be shadowing for her article. It’s barely half past 6 and there’s still a mist in the air, the cool night burning off into another warm summer day. There aren’t many people out and she loves New York like this, feeling like the whole city is hers. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, all the boroughs just there for her to explore.

She is fiddling with her tangled headphone cords, walking down the street, when she sees him. She’s sure it’s him, even though he’s a bit further down the road, across the street, exiting a gym. Peter holds the door open and a girl steps out, a pretty blonde ( _stunning really_ , Lara Jean thinks, _they look good together_ ), smiling up at him.

She stops dead in her tracks, involuntarily. She knows he won’t see her, he’s deep in conversation. Why did she have to walk down this street of all the streets in New York? Why couldn’t she have left ten minutes earlier? But still, she can’t seem to continue on her way.

The scene before her is innocent enough. They’re just talking. And now the girl is handing him her phone, watching him as he puts in his number. They wave and say goodbye and Peter starts down the road, the same direction Lara Jean is supposed to be going.

She exhales.

And then her mind goes into overdrive.

She freaks out internally, because now she realizes. Nothing about this is casual, nothing about her feelings for Peter is anything less than full-blown, head-over-heels, all-consuming love.

(Has it ever been anything less though? Even when they were technically faking it, she still fell for him. Even when they ended things, she couldn’t bring herself to fully let him go, to see him as anything less than the love of her life.)

Her feelings are spilling all over her like clothes from an overstuffed drawer. She’s never stopped loving him, she just pushed her feelings to the back of her mind.

But she can’t do this to him, make him love her from afar, not have him by her side. It’s too much. She knows it. She’s already been there once.

So she shoves, she pushes that overstuffed drawer closed again. She can’t deal with this right now. She’s got a job to do. When she arrives at the bakery, she’s a couple of minutes late, but one of the owners, Sherry, tells her she can make up for it by helping to knead the dough. With her arms elbow deep in some sourdough, Lara Jean finally manages it. The drawer is shut and she can concentrate on the task on hand. For now, she’s enjoying the experience, learning to make bread and cake and cookies from the masters.

That’s all she needs. For now.


	5. Chapter 5

Afterwards, Lara Jean does the only thing that seems rational to her – she ignores her feelings completely.

She tells herself that if she sticks it out a few weeks longer (in reality, it is more like two months, but that seems too daunting), this will be over. Peter will be back in his rightful place in Virginia, and she will be able to go on like this never happened.

She doesn’t really know what _this_ is, exactly. But the thought of losing control - over her feelings, her carefully set up routine – scares her too much to give it any more thought.

So she works. She writes. She tries out recipes with Sherry and Joanna from the bakery. She hangs out with Chris and Lucas and Marcus, continues to exchange noncommittal texts with Peter, bringing up work whenever he asks her to hang out.

Then her assignment ends, which is sad, not just because now she’s fresh out of distractions, but also because she has become good friends with Sherry and Joanna.

-

And now she can’t say no when Chris asks her to go clubbing with the boys. It is not her scene, not at all, but she knows that her time with Christ is limited and this is why, on a Friday night, instead of cuddling up with a good book (a point that’s highly debatable, since she’s still into campy erotica), she is getting dolled up with Chris before heading out to meet Lucas and Marcus.

“Lara Jean, you can’t wear knee socks to a club, you look like you’re in elementary school!” Chris huffs as she sees Lara Jean’s outfit.

“I doubt any parents would let their second-grader walk out of the house in a dress this short.” Lara Jean retorts, pulling at the hem of her dress.

She debated changing into something different, but Chris had complimented the dress when she came in (the socks, obviously, are a completely different story) and for once, she wasn’t going to argue her friend on their differing style preferences.

“The socks are staying, so shush! We’re late anyway, I told the boys we would meet them at the club in 15 minutes and it’ll take us at least that to get there.”

Chris grins “Then let’s go! I can’t believe you’re doing this for me, Lara Jean. You and me in a club. All of my wishes have come true!” She winks as she pushes Lara Jean out the door.

It takes them forever to get into the club, and Lara Jean is pleased with her choice of knee socks on this uncharacteristically cool summer night. Once they are in, she puts herself on drinks duty, figuring that by having a bit of control over the type and volume of her alcohol consumption, she won’t be completely sloshed by the end of the night.

A round of drinks in hand, she returns to her friends, who are already going hard on the dance floor. Maybe Chris and Lucas were right. She deserves to have fun. And, above all, she deserves a night were she is just present, not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. So she decides she’ll make the most of it tonight, she will let her hair down and have fun. With that she twirls towards the beautiful people she calls her friends and joins them in their dance circle.

-

Hours later, sweaty and still somewhat buzzed, they sit in a booth at some dive bar, waiting on a basket of greasy fries and onion rings. Lucas has put his head on Marcus’ shoulder and appears to be snoring softly, while Chris plays with her phone.

Lara Jean is fiddling with the straw in her cherry soda when her own phone buzzes with a text.

_Read your article on the bakery today, it was really great. Hoping this means we can hang before I leave for UVA?_

It’s Peter. Texting her at four in the morning. Hoping to see her again.

In her stupor, the only thing she thinks to reply is _why are you still up?_

Instantly, he answers. _Couldn’t sleep. What about you?_

“What’s up LJ? You look like someone just send you a dick pic.” Chris grins. Lucas instantly perks up at this and snatches her phone out of her hand. Marcus cackles.

“It’s a text from Kavinsky! I didn’t know you still talked, Lara Jean.”

“We don’t. Not frequently, at least.” Lara Jean argues, even though it is only partially true.

Lucas leans forward, intrigued “So he’s texting you in the middle of the night, asking you to hang out? Jesus, I guess he knows he’s running out of time.”

And there it is, exactly what Lara Jean has been worried about. Them running out of time.

“Excuse me,” she says, getting up “I need to use the restroom.” It doesn’t escape anyone at the table that she takes her phone with her when she goes.

-

Leaning against the cubicle door, her phone clutched to her chest, Lara Jean exhales and starts to type.

_Went dancing with some friends (Chris and Lucas, actually, and his boyfriend). Getting some food now and them I think I’m ready to call it._

His reply is instant, again.

_Cool. Say hi for me! So you had a fun night?_

_I did. Thank you for reading my article, by the way._

_You’re welcome. See you soon Covey :*_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the wonderful feedback! This week has been a million years long, so I'm a bit late with this chapter. Hoping to update again very soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Here she is. A twenty-three year old woman, making a life for herself in the greatest city in the world. An independent woman. An adult.

And it’s a kissy face that undoes her again. That makes her want to call Peter right this second and tell him that she loves him. Only him.

Instead, she returns to her friends and vows to keep her cool. Peter is her friend after all and he doesn’t deserve for her to shut him out.

-

She texts him back in the morning (or the early afternoon rather), still in bed and nursing a slight hangover.

_So, since we’re overdue a hangout session on account of my being a workaholic, how about we cross something off your NYC bucket list? Tell me your number one thing you want to do before you leave the city._

Lara Jean isn’t sure that this is the best idea, but she feels like she owes Peter for being a shitty friend. She let her feelings get in the way and she wants to make sure that he’s made good memories in her favorite city. And maybe a few memories for her to keep as well.

She see’s the three dots appear and disappear repeatedly on her screen and imagines him seriously contemplating her offer, wanting to think of the best thing for them to do. She has always admired this about Peter – his consideration and care, the perfect balance of spontaneity and love for detail.

Still, she’s surprised when his answer pops up.

_You know how you mentioned the bakery’s cake making-class in your article? I want to do THAT :D_

-

A week later, on a Sunday morning that already carries with it the slightest hint of fall, Lara Jean waits in front of the bakery, wrapped in a cozy cardigan, coffee in hand. She knows there will be coffee inside, delicious and warm, but she couldn’t face the early hour without one, especially after she has worked on a new piece for a food magazine until one in the morning. So there she stands, bleary-eyed and shivering (and a little excited, too) when Peter turns the corner, impossibly perky, with a big smile plastered on his face.

“Lara Jean! There you are! How’s it going?” He wraps her in a hug as he says it and immediately she feels warm. She wants to stay right there, but he’s pulling away already.

“Hey Peter. I’m good! I can’t believe we’re doing this, but…”

"Are you kidding me? I’ve been excited for this all week. Seeing you in your element and making desserts? This is going to be great!”

He smiles again and it’s so infectious, she cracks a smile as well. Right as she’s about to talk again, she hears a key turn behind them and the door opens to reveal Joanna, who is going to be their teacher for the day. 

"Good morning you guys! Ready to bake some delicious cakes?”

-

As per Joanna’s instructions, they get to work in the kitchen, trying out the bakery’s most popular recipes. Lara Jean knows much of the workflow already, but she picks up some valuable tips and tries to pass them on to Peter, who is happily making a mess while working.

When Joanna is busy putting their first batch into the oven, Peter pops a handful of leftover chocolate chips in his mouth and tells her “You know, I think all those years of watching you and being your personal taste-tester have secretly made me a great baker, these cakes are going to be amazing!”

Lara Jean laughs.

“Oh please, there’s a difference between watching and actually doing it. Look at your workspace, it’s a mess!”

“A creative mess!” Peter retorts, “Let’s make a deal and have Joanna decide whose cake is better. Loser pays for lunch!”

“Deal” Lara Jean says as they shake on it. Even if the cakes turn out to be inedible, she’s already had the most wonderful time with Peter.

-

“I’m just going to put these on the counter up front and then we’ll do the taste test. Great job you guys!” Joanna tells them as she leaves the kitchen with a tray of cakes, door swinging behind her.

“This is so much fun. Not to sound cocky, but this was a _great_ idea!” Peter laughs.

There he is, covered in flour, smiling his brilliant smile. And in this one particular moment, Lara Jean knows that his smile is just for her. So she does it, the one thing she promised herself not to do, the thing she has been afraid of ever since Peter got back in touch with her.

She leans forward and presses a soft kiss to his lips. Lingers for a second when he doesn’t pull back, then returns to her spot and opens her eyes, every worry and doubt rushing back into her.

“I’m so sorry Peter, I shouldn’t have…” she starts but there’s his arm, already sneaking around her waist and pulling her close. He kisses her again, urgently and with confidence.

“I’m so glad you did though,” he breathes when they break apart.

Not a moment later, Joanna returns to the kitchen and exclaims “Alright, let’s try these cakes! Lara Jean’s salted caramel apple tarte versus Peter’s fudgy chocolate brownies.”

Lara Jean is still in shock, but she’s also extremely competitive about her baking, so she shoots Peter a playful glare as he says “Get ready to lose, Covey.”

Joanna takes her time, tasting both of their creations, then turns to them and says “These are both great you guys, but for presentation alone, I have to give this to Lara Jean. Sorry Peter!”

Lara Jean hoots with glee as she throws her arms up in victory.

“Ha, yes! You owe me one _lavish_ lunch Peter Kavinsky!”

Peter concedes and wraps her in a congratulatory hug as he whispers “Winner gets a kiss, too. We did say that, right?”


End file.
